Gender-Based Perceptions in Brand Generalization: Do Male and Female Consumers Differ in Brand Generalization Tendencies?

Abstract

This paper examines the influence of gender roles on consumer brand generalization tendencies across product categories. Gender remains one of the most prevalent and accessible bases for market segmentation. This research gap is particularly significant given the evolving nature of gender roles in contemporary society and the increasing recognition of gender as a multifaceted construct rather than a simple binary categorization.Through a systematic literature review and theoretical framework development, we explore how gender-based differences in information processing, risk perception, and social identity formation affect brand generalization patterns. Comprehensive processing may enable female consumers to identify more points of similarity between the parent brand and extension products, potentially facilitating brand generalization across more diverse product categories. The analysis reveals that female consumers tend to exhibit more comprehensive information processing and flexible category boundaries, while male consumers often employ more selective processing with stricter category boundaries. The paper proposes a conceptual model and research agenda to guide future empirical investigations in this domain. Understanding these gender-based differences has significant implications for brand extension strategies, marketing communications, and consumer behavior theory. Understanding these gender-based differences has significant implications for brand extension strategies, marketing communications, and brand portfolio management. As gender roles continue to evolve in contemporary society, further research is needed to examine how changing gender norms affect brand generalization processes and their marketing implications.